


The Man Who Wouldn't Speak

by truc



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Jealousy, Lex is sick, M/M, Master/Slave, Mind Games, Revenge, Romance, Sad Ending, Torture, Unhealthy Relationships, but interesting, contrast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 23:10:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13511709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truc/pseuds/truc
Summary: Kryptonians have taken over Earth. They have permitted the humans to oversee themselves, but once in a while there are crimes so grave humans are subjected to becoming slaves or receive the death penalty. Kal El saved a mute man from death by taking him as his slave. The man, whom Kal named Night, seem to be able to do anything perfectly. Kal is frankly uneasy around his slave. Then, Lex Luthor, the human dictator, has some business to attend with Kal and he seem to know more about Night's previous life.





	The Man Who Wouldn't Speak

**Author's Note:**

> This work is not as good as I wanted it to be, but it would have been erased by the archives if I didn't publish it today. I may, one day, rework it to my liking. In the meantime, enjoy.

"Night, please take the notes and make an analysis chart of what is the best economical solution to the food shortage in the Agil Section."

And Night, head bowing in a formal way, gathers the notes to make the analysis chart.

In the beginning, everyone thought Kal was mad to take the criminal as his slave. "No way is a dirty criminal human useful to our advanced society. You should have left him to die," Zod, Jor's old friend had said back then. Jor and Lara had reluctantly accepted their son's wish, his father thinking it was a good way to experiment on the human's intelligence, Lara worried her son's good heart was taking him on a dangerous road.

Kal had called him Night, because of his black hair and his defiant eyes. The human had seemed pleased with the name.

He still didn't know why he hadn't wanted to let the scarred and glaring man die. Nobody had come forward to take the dangerous and mute human. Language capacity was such an important aspect for Kryptonians nobody wanted to deal with a liability. Kal didn't like people dying, even violent and dangerous criminals, so he had taken him in.

Kal had given the human a basic room and clothing and had taught the man to do simple tasks. Since he didn't want the man to get in trouble, each time Night got bored, Kal would find him something more complicated to accomplish. And Night would do it. Kal realized the human had more potential than himself as he kept giving him varied tasks and the human would always finish it fast and with praise.

Nowadays, he was uneasy around his slave.

Night always perfected his work. So much so, everyone he knew wanted to borrow the man to help prepare a glorious wedding celebration, to write speeches, to calculate the market's readiness for a product... Even Zod thought the slave was doing an excellent job and had been worth the time investment.

Kal thought the human's eyes were brilliantly mocking him. As if saying, even your father would rather ask me than you for help. And the young Kryptonian knew it was true. Kal might have powers and additional competence on Earth. On Krypton, Night was stronger, more cunning and more competent. Kal was only the child of one of the Council member.

Night was dangerous. Kal knew it. But he couldn't let him go. Even if his own usefulness was overshadowed by his slave. His father would come home, not to spend time with family, but to use Night as a tool to analyze and revise his calculations.

And Night seemed to be waiting for him to explode and get him killed. Or to kill Kal in his sleep. 

Kal knew the man was smart enough to get rid of his collar forcing him to obey Kal. The Kryptonian had no idea why Night hadn't done so yet.

Kryptonians had often asked Kal to borrow Night to admire his physique, sexual prowess or to torture him. And Kal thought to force the criminal to have sex or to be tortured was beyond his capacity. He refused all those strange requests. Night would just quietly look at him from the corner of his eyes, almost smirking at Kal's embarrassment.

After a year of the human's quiet presence, Kal still didn't know anything about Night's previous life. Even when ordered to answer his questions, Night would write "I have no previous life. I am your slave". The irony was not lost on Kal.

Night knew everything about Kal, from his schooldays embarrassments to his trouble getting taken seriously by his family. He always seemed to know who dated Kal and how long they had been together. But, then again, it might only be Kal's imagination.

The last girl Kal had dated told him Night was creepy with his knowledge. Kal had caught her staring at Night's body in obvious interest several times. They had ended their relationship when she had accused Kal of greedily keeping Night to himself.

After the headache that followed, Kal had seen Night lifted an eyebrow in his direction and crossed his arms over his chest, seemingly as to say, "See? I told you this was going to happen." Kal had wanted to wipe the look out of the human's face, especially since the arrogant man had written to him the girl was not a good match.

Yes, Night would write his impressions of what would happen (on the market, for supper, who would win...) and his master knew he was right more often than not.

But that was the game they were playing. Kal would order Night to do some tasks. Night would obey with a sarcastic glee, reserved only for his master. Kal always felt that despite his master role, Night was the one in control.

He had never seen Night losing control. When Night was upset, he would concentrate on his tasks and ignore everything Kal said that wasn't pertinent to them. Kal would hate those days. But, then again, happy Night looked almost the same as upset one.

When Kal was upset, he would seek Night's company to rant, mostly about wanting to be a normal Kryptonian for once and not to have the responsibilities and expectations of the child of one of the Council members. His slave would either ignore him most of the time and write him suggestions just to get him to shut up or he would paint something to keep busy. Nonetheless, Kal always felt better afterwards.

Kal was content with his slave even though he had many ambiguous feelings about him.

Then, Kal was to meet Earth's dictator, Lex Luthor, to better implement a system controlling the planet's poverty. The young Kryptonian was not looking forward meeting the hard and cunning human.

When Lex arrived, it was altogether evident he knew Night by the way he was staring at the other human. Night showed no reaction at all. Nonetheless, Kal was fascinated by the possibility of learning something about his mysterious slave.

"Dictator Luthor, it seems you know my slave Night from before his exile?"

At that, Lex smirked at the slave, "Night?" before turning to face Kal, "You have a good taste in names."

Kal felt himself blush. Normally, everyone thought the name was pretentious and strange especially since the human was fair-skinned.

Lex offered him his hand, "Pleasure to meet the famous Kal, the slave-whisperer. If you managed to get this dangerous criminal under your thumb, you really are an incredible Kryptonian." The Kryptonian thought he saw Night frown at the implications. It seems there were a lot more undertones than Kal knew about.

"Likewise. I hope you are ready to discuss the matter of getting rid of poverty on your planet." And so they started the discussion. Kal knew that even with all his preparation, Lex was much more of a negotiator than he was.

Despite how badly the matter was going, Kal noticed Lex's glances to his slave. At one point, the young Kryptonian decided to leave the room for a moment in hopes he would learn something from their interaction while he was absent.

One of the room's wall could be seen through if someone had Kal's DNA. So, Kal looked into the room, hoping to see something.

He didn't think he would see Lex take Night into a hug and Night putting his hands on Lex's back. Kal grew livid.

Night...

Kal stumbled into the room. Night was startled and he removed himself from Lex's embrace. The Dictator just smiled at Kal.

"Your slave is quite bold", Lex drawled. Night was stoically blank-faced.

Kal wanted to smash Lex's face in. He wanted to hurt the man so badly he would never hurt him again.

Lex put one hand under his chin, "Are you going to let this go unpunished? That is very relax of you." There was a challenge in Lex's eyes, one Kal couldn't resist.

"Guards," Kal called and the men came in.

"Guards, take my slave and punish him appropriately".

At those words, Kal saw the men's blood recede from their face. One of them even interjected, "Kal El, what should be his crime?"

Lex suggested, "Insubordination?"

Kal glared at the proud man, but repeated it, "Insubordination."

Throughout the scene, Night didn't react. But at those words, Night stared at Lex for a drawn-out moment, then kneeled in front of Kal, something he never did except when a ceremony demanded it. Lex flinched. Kal was curious what his slave would do.

Night stared him right in the eyes, took Kal's hand into his calloused one and kissed it delicately, never breaking contact. The guards stopped breathing. For some reason, Kal's heart chose that moment to beat furiously in his chest.

Night let him go, stood up and walked out the door without a glance at either him or Lex.

The silence the guards and Night left was heavy. Finally, Lex said, "Do you want me to tell you what I know about the man?"

Kal nodded.

"Then, as long as you promise you won't get distracted by anything, nor would you record my words, I'll tell you his story."

It was too easy, Kal thought, but curiosity was a dangerous thing for someone like Kal, "I swear I won't get distracted nor would I record your words." He even ordered the room not to let any distraction in the room either by message or opening the door.

Lex's eyes found him and while Night's made you believe he could see right through your soul, Lex's made you believe he could weight your soul's value to get you to sell it to him.

"He was always meant to be a martyr," Lex slowly began, taking his seat.

"Smart, kind and dangerously invested in his convictions. That man's parents were killed in front of him when he was eight years old. That day, he swore he would not speak until his parents' killer was brought to justice."

"He is not mute?" Kal asked, surprised.

Lex grinned at him, "Not back then at least."

"He never brought his parents' killer to justice? He seems the type of man who would achieve his goals."

"Oh, don't worry, his story is riveting, I assure you. As I was saying, he became an orphan, an extremely wealthy orphan. And my father was hoping to get me to befriend him to get business advantages. He was a year younger than me. We started doing things together, but we were so competitive, we were pushing each other to heights of perfection. He started studying chemistry and he was getting better? I would interest myself in the subject and get all the prizes. I started fencing and winning prizes? He would be the one taking all the prizes in that discipline."

From Kal's perspective, their relationship seemed so marred by competitiveness it wasn't healthy.

Lex smiled like a snake, "Oh. It wasn't the healthiest of relationship. But it worked. We both grew up, talented, determined and thoroughly bored of bland conversations and gala appearances. Sometimes, we even made games of getting one specific person at a gala to say one word unwittingly. However, he was...obsessed by his parents' death. He always sought the killer to give justice. It quickly became clear the gangs in his hometown was probably responsible for their death. Our childish games became much more dangerous. It would always go the same way. I would extend my friendship to those "unsavoury" people or at least my business interest and he would break into their properties to get what he wanted."

"How old were you when you pulled those stunts?" the Kryptonian couldn't help but feel horrified they had played with their lives so easily.

Lex's lips curled upwards again, "Seventeen to eighteen. Now, he almost got caught a lot of times, nonetheless, he refused that I would risk my life for it. He was always destined to be a martyr."

After a moment, Kal got impatient by the silence stretching between them, "You already said that. What is your obsession with him being a martyr? What happened to his parents' killer?"

Lex leaned back, eyes gleaming like a cat playing with a nice little mouse, "He was very clever, almost as clever as me, but we needed one of us to be the general in the light, one to lead the dark. He couldn't risk anyone's life except his own. He had a lot of admirable qualities, but he was a coward in that area. I was the one courageous enough to shake hands with the devils and to put other people's life at risk. I could be the snake. I was the day and he, the night."

Kal started to understand the insinuation. Dictator Lex was no longer solely talking about gangsters; he was talking about Earth's rebellion against the Kryptonians. Night was probably the head of the rebellion, always risking his head by going into dangerous places. Lex Luthor was the overseer of the Kryptonian, pretending he was working for them while secretly working with Night. 

"You... are a traitor to our cause."

"No. Kal. I am not a traitor to our cause. I was the general. He was the sword. It worked for a long time. The public needed more blood, more tragedy. Night got caught."

Kal translated that information. Lex arranged for Night to get caught. 

"Why would you want him to get caught?" there was something very puzzling about Lex, something either too smart or too dumb for Kal to understand. 

Lex shook his head in negation although the gleam in his eyes told another story, "I didn't want him caught. He got caught. Then, came in your antiquated Kryptonian's customs. That the highly dangerous criminal caught could be humiliated by becoming a slave."

"That's not the purpose of that law! It is for redemption!"

"Is it really?" Lex lifted an eyebrow in disbelief. 

"Yes!" Kal affirmed curtly. 

Lex waved a hand dismissingly, "Let's agree to disagree for now... Now. Do you want to guess what happened to his parents' killer?"

Kal nodded emphatically. 

Lex leaned forward, hands touching one another in the air. He mouthed without sounds, "I killed him."

Kal couldn't comprehend Lex's thought process at all. He killed Night's parents' killer yet he still sentenced Night to death (or so he had thought) by getting him caught by the Kryptonians. 

Lex sneered at Kal's lost expression, "You see, your slave had pierced together who was the killer. He was an excellent detective if I do say so myself. He told me he was going after the killer. I drugged him a bit. I met the man who killed his parents. He was lowly untrained scum." 

Lex's expression hardened at that as if it was a personal affront to him the killer was not a highly trained assassin. He almost seemed to be saying his friend's parents' demise should have been more conspiracy worthy.

"I shot him in one hand than I slowly," the last word was said with obvious relish, "slowly tortured him until his death. I hid his body. I then returned to see him and told him I drugged him to stop him from killing the killer. Do you know what he wrote to me after that?"

Kal was curious, "No."

"He thanked me for keeping him on the right track." 

Kal pondered that over, "You killed his family's murderer because you liked Night. He was your brother. Isn't that it?"

Lex leered at him suggestively, "He was the only person I have ever cared for except for my deceased mother. But he was not my brother. At least, not exactly." 

The Kryptonian wasn't sure he wanted to know what Lex had meant. He still had to get his head around Lex sending Night to his death if he sincerely liked him. 

"Why did you send someone you obviously care so much for to his death?"

Lex eyed him sarcastically, "Why would you?"

Kal blinked, "I don't know what you mean. Is this an analogy of some sort?"

"He was always meant to be a martyr. Your customs were made to humiliate a man. He could be a slave. Until he stops pleasing his masters. Until he committed the sin of insubordination. Then, his death is much worse than the cleaner death he was first offered. You see. You sent him to his death. You sent him to get tortured, on public television or your equivalent, to death. You made him a martyr."

Kal was speechless. It couldn't be true. He hadn't heard of that rule. Night couldn't be dead. 

The Kryptonian reversed his non-distraction order for the room and he was flooded with messages from everyone he knew. They were all asking he reconsider his televised torture and death sentence of Night. Kal saw he was too late.

Lex stood up, eyes lingering on the door Night had gone out, "You know, the rebellion needed a martyr the first time. A soldier obeys his general. When you took him in, Night was still working for me," Lex caressed the chair, "In war, you have to make sure your assets don't become liabilities. A turned spy is worse for the system than a dead spy."

Kal couldn't turn to see Lex. He despised him too much, "He was loyal to you."

Lex chuckled at that, "He was. The real reason he had to become a martyr is much simpler," Kal heard him turn towards him, "You want me to force humans to stop poverty. You want to oversee what we do. Don't. We want the power of self-determination."

Kal heard the threat in it. He felt nothing except hatred for himself for trading Nigh's presence for curiosity, for appearance's sake. He didn't care for Lex's lesson. 

"Don't fucking play with what is mine. Earth is mine. Kryptonians should get out while they still can. I think I have clearly illustrated my willingness to raze everything to the ground to avoid losing to someone else something that is mine."

"Oh. And do send me the video of Bruce's torture and death. I am sure it will inspire many to the cause," With those words, Lex walked out. 

Kal knew he couldn't kill the human. Knew his tears wouldn't stop with this show of power. If Lex had twice, willingly, sent Night to his death, Kal had done it by ignorance. 

Before this moment, he didn't know he loved Night. Bruce. That was his human name. 

He remembered Night-Bruce's face when Lex had suggested insubordination as the cause of punishment. He knew he was being sent to death. He had kissed Kal's hand in submission, something he never did if he could avoid it. Night-Bruce had cared for Kal.

It didn't help comfort Kal. To the contrary, he fell to the ground, defeated by two humans' willpower and scheming. 

Night-Bruce could have spoken. Could have done something to change either Kal's or Lex's mind. He was soldier sent to war. A slave sent to his death. A martyr to a cause.

Kal choked on his tears, hands feeling his face, wanting to blind himself with his hands. 

He saw Lex's spaceship fly away. 

And Kal hated humans because they had made him lose his innocence. Because Lex was right when he had said the 'redemption clause' was humiliation on a enemy. Because Night was right to refuse him his private information.

Lex was right. He had sent someone he cared for to a terrifying death just for a moment's jealousy. Kal was as much a monster as Lex was.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah. Lex wins. Everyone else loses. This is what it feels like. 
> 
> I seriously should stop writing Lex/Bruce and Bruce/Clark in the same story. It is kind of hard to finish well for everyone.


End file.
